formed in response to the Covid-19 crisis.

Oxford Mutual Aid is a community organisation which grew from a network of experienced LGBTQ and trade union organisers, together with members of local community support groups. We work to support our peers and neighbours in Oxford, primarily through the provision of food support.

Founded to respond to the challenges of the pandemic, we have since become a vital part of Oxford’s aid infrastructure. We believe that nobody should face food insecurity, or experience stigma for seeking assistance. We do not implement means testing as it is invasive, expensive, and discourages people from seeking help.

We believe in supporting physical, mental, and emotional health. For this reason we offer nutritious and inviting food parcels that match the preferences, health requirements, and ethical/religious needs of each individual. We also provide baby products, toiletries, Ramadan packages and gifts at Christmas.

Where people don’t have the facilities or capacity to cook, we offer volunteer-prepared meals through our Kitchen Collective programme. As well as providing nutritious meals to those with minimal cooking facilities, the Kitchen Collective has been vital in bringing together organisations from across the city, including colleges, universities and local groups.

Collaboration has always been at the heart of what we do. This is centered upon building systems that source and supply nutritious food to those who need it, reduce food waste, and support local businesses. Through local supply networks, we can increase the food/supply resilience of our community in a time of uncertainty.

We believe in solidarity. Our volunteers come from within the community that we serve. Many of us receive food support from Oxford Mutual Aid, giving us invaluable insight into how our processes work on every level.

We aim to ensure that volunteers and recipients are empowered to see their positive impact in the community, harnessing their abilities in ways that recognise the value of diverse experiences, while being mindful of different capacities.

We try to ensure that the people delivering parcels to each individual remain the same week by week, so that they can develop a rapport. We also contact each of our regular recipients of support each week, with the aim of creating a network that connects our users to each other and their community, reducing the risk of social isolation and the negative health outcomes that it causes.